Goa Governor allowing BJP to indulge in horsetrading, claims Cong

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar accused Governor Mridula Sinha of allowing the BJP to indulge in horsetrading and not paying heed to its requests to form the government in the state.

"We strongly condemn the undemocratic action of Governor of Goa Mridula Sinha for not allowing our single largest party to form the Government and allowing the BJP to carry on horse trading, despite BJP not having sufficient numbers to form the Government," he said in a statement.

"Governor is acting as an agent of BJP and this will be remembered as the darkest day in Indian democracy where there is vaccum in government for more than 24 hours of the declaration of death of Chief Minister of the state. The state is without legitimate government despite Congress party being single largest and staking claim to form the government," the statement mentioned.

Kawthankar further urged President Ram Nath Kovind to dismiss Sinha from the post of Governor while equating the political scenario in Goa to "the murder of democracy."

"We strongly condemn this deliberate murder of democracy by Governor of Goa and demand the President to dismiss the biased Governor Mridula Sinha and invite Congress party to form the Government immediately," the statement read.

The Congress had approached Sinha to stake claim to form the government hours after the death of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The Congress, which is the single largest party in the 40-member Goa assembly, wrote to Sinha on Sunday, the second time in 48 hours.

Earlier on Monday, Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar-led Congress delegation had told Sinha that the party will prove majority to form the government in the state.

"We met the Governor and staked claim to form the government as we are the single largest party in the state. We have 14 MLAs and we should be given the chance to form the government. We have told that we will prove majority. We are saddened by the demise of Goa Chief Minister," Kavlekar told media after meeting the Governor.

Parrikar, a four-time Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, died on Sunday evening after a prolonged battle against cancer at the age of 63.